Procurement IT - Category Manager - Central London

Procurement Category Manager - IT and Professional Services

My client, a leading online learning platform services group is a strategic, commercially astute Procurement Category Manager to lead sourcing and category management for Professional Services (e.g., consulting, legal, audit) and Information Technology (software, hardware, cloud, managed services). This role is critical to optimizing value, mitigating risk, and driving innovation across indirect spend categories through robust supplier relationships, data-driven decision-making, and stakeholder collaboration.

My client has central London Offices (Tottenham Court Road). Expectation would be to be in the office 2 days a week. For further details, please apply using the link.

Key Responsibilities:

• Category Strategy Development:
  • Develop and implement short- and long-term sourcing strategies for IT and professional services categories.
  • Conduct spend analysis, market intelligence, and supplier benchmarking to identify savings and value opportunities.
  • Align category plans with organizational objectives and technology roadmaps.
• Sourcing & Contracting:
  • Lead end-to-end sourcing processes (RFPs, RFIs, RFQs) and manage contract negotiations to ensure best value.
  • Draft, review, and negotiate commercial terms in collaboration with Legal and Risk functions.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Act as a strategic partner to internal stakeholders including IT, Finance, HR, Legal, and executive sponsors.
  • Provide subject matter expertise, challenge specifications, and influence demand to drive cost-effective outcomes.
• Supplier & Performance Management:
  • Develop strategic supplier relationships and lead supplier performance reviews.
  • Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Governance & Risk Management:
  • Ensure procurement processes adhere to company policies, regulatory requirements, and risk management frameworks.
  • Support third-party risk assessments, including cyber and data privacy evaluations for IT vendors.
• Savings & Reporting:
  • Deliver year-on-year cost savings, value-adds, and process efficiencies.
  • Track performance against KPIs, savings targets, and category plans.

Skills & Qualifications:

Essential:

• Proven experience in category management and strategic sourcing across Professional Services and IT.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills and contract management expertise.
• Deep understanding of IT procurement trends including SaaS, cloud, licensing models, and digital transformation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex stakeholders and supplier relationships.
• Advanced Excel, PowerPoint, and procurement tools (e.g., Coupa, SAP Ariba, Oracle, Jaggaer).

Desirable:

• CIPS or equivalent professional procurement qualification.
• Experience in regulated industries (e.g., financial services, healthcare, government).
• Familiarity with ESG and supplier diversity goals in sourcing strategy.